IF Melo goes on the trade block, should the Rockets get him?

I know you mean Tim

 

Morey just has to take a chance at someone of Melo's caliber, or any top 30 player in the NBA. He may or may not work out for the team, but you have to take that chance if you are in Morey's shoes.

Yes, this team is already very good in terms of both talent and chemistry. But would it be favored in a series vs. OKC, Miami or Indiana? An objective observer would find this doubtful. And it's Morey's job to change that answer if an opportunity-- any opportunity-- to do so becomes available.

I don't know where this "Melo = cancer" thing comes from-- maybe because he clashed with D'Antoni, maybe because he demanded a trade from his team. But you can say the same thing about Dwight Howard and Morey welcomed Dwight. Morey even took a chance on Ron Artest and Ron's baggage far exceeds Melo's.

Melo is not perfect. He may not be capable of being the #1 guy on a title team. But the guy works and plays very hard and is very talented. Given that we really are guaranteed to just have Dwight under contract for 3 years, if you can get Melo now vs. waiting 1 or even 2 years for a younger guy to possibly "blossom" into something or to sign a FA with 2015 cap room, you absolutely do it. The injuries to Yao and McGrady should teach us how fleeting an opportunity to contend can be.

Another consideration: if Melo doesn't work out, and if both Lin and Asik goes in a trade for Melo, the team can have nearly $16M of cap room to chase a FA.

 

Haha. I already admitted my mistake. Some how "Tim Jr" got away from me right there!

 

"Carmelo Anthony says that “without a doubt” he’d accept less money to help Knicks http://t.co/aePzuj5VqI @basketballtalk

If he doesn't come in a trade now, 100% morey going after this summer to be stretch 4 since he wants to take less. He fits morey ball prefect.

 

Dwight Howard is our number one guy by the way. He may not look as pretty as Hakeem, but the guy opens up our offense when he gets consistent touches. The Rockets need the shooters to start connecting at a higher clip from three point land.

Good post.

 

Asik for humpries expiring maybe the first step since this news has came out. Lin... He will figure something out

 

Asik+Lin+1st Rounder for Melo!..Yes you trade for him! We should be trying to win it all THIS YEAR!

 

Actually Melo is about the suckiest fit for Morey ball in the NBA, given his salary. Expensive, high usage and low efficiency. There are many really bad contracts out there in the NBA so one cannot say that Melo has the highest ratio of salary to wins produced, but that is about the most you can say in defense of Melo.

 

Remember in college I tried 1 year to learn that move...used to watch it at half speed and it was still fast, just ridiculous.

 

Melo would make a great stretch PF!

Beverly
Harden
Parson
Melo
Howard

How do you guard that?

 

That's the thing have you read the article I posted plenty of times ? Melo wants help & wants to take a paycut to stay in NY if they can get help. Best thing would be to run at him this summer because he can stay at his $22mill 2014-2015 if we trade for him and we can't get bench help & would give up assets in the process.

If he opts out NY this summer, which he made clear he's trying out free agency "he can't wait" that's how we can get him for $16-18mill. only asik + Lin + brewer contracts basically. Tell me who would be a 3rd star available before that melo that could help this team as a stretch 4 get to the next level ? you know Howard is only here 2 more years guaranteed. can we beat okc, Miami, spurs by brining in a backup 3&d guy ? or would melo help more ?

 

Melo is not low efficiency: .555 TS%, with a very low 8.8% TO rate and a 112 ORtg is pretty high, especially considering that he does have a high usage rate and is likely taking a ton of end-of-clock and contested shots due to his role for the team.

We can quibble about his salary, and Morey may not want to keep him beyond this year as oppose to signing him to 5 years and $120M at his age, but Morey gets to make that choice come summer and if Melo leaves, the team can have about $16M in cap room to chase another player-- either an older guy like Bosh (or even Lebron) if they are willing to take a discount (they are also eligible for $20+M per year) or a younger guy like Lance Stephenson.

The one question I have is whether what young talent (especially Jones) and picks must be a part of the package. You have to include Lin and Asik just to make the $ work. But I wouldn't want to give up so much assets that the team has trouble recovering even with $16M cap space if Melo leaves.

 

Force the ball into Melo's hands and expect him to brick a semi-contested jumper from 12 feet? Then go right at him every time on the defensive end? Bench - D-Mo, Brooks, Casspi? One injury away from being non-competitive.

 

I don't think I'm underrating Melo, I think you're underrating Durant. Melo is an awesome awesome player, and IMO a top 5 player in the league, but Durant is just flat-out incredible, I'm not even sure that guy is human.

 

Offensively they are equals. Melo can score from everywhere effectively. He is better in the post than Durant, but Durant is a better shooter. I think in a series, between Durant/Melo, you would get some pretty good head to head games.

 

The shot chart above shows that Melo is actually quite poor in the post for the power forward position. Contrast that shot chart with Durant's below:

 

You put melo at the 4 next to dwight and his shot chart dramatically improves. All you need for proof is look at how DMo and more specifically tjones has played next to a guy who commands to much damn attention.

 

bench doesn't have to be that if you wait for the summer instead of trading for him now, and melo shots will go down 4-5per game here FYI. Asik for humpries + 1st round pick would be the first move. Celtics fans & Danny want asik BAD.

Morey always speaks on how he wants to remain flexible. We could keep dmo, jones, brooks, convington, canaan, casspi still have MLE next year also. That's not even including what we could get for Lin if we acquire another 1st from Boston. Dmo or jones in a separate trade before next season etc.

 

Howard opens up the whole court for Carmelo. In the post, Melo is doubled almost instantly by the opposing team's big.

 

Melo currently ranks 132nd in TS% in the NBA this season. And that number is somewhat inflated due to playing in the Leastern Conference. And I personally, like you, would be worried about actually including young talent in that trade. It already seems to me to be lop-sided in favor of NY.